{giveaway} pan-fried vietnamese pork chops

This dish was so good, I went, “MMMMMmmmm!” as I took my first bite. And since I had to work late, the LAM had his dinner and sent me a text saying, “The chops are good, huh!”

Since the LAM is a very good cook and also my biggest critic, that was high praise indeed!

But I have to say, these chops were very, very good.

It is a double-edge sword for me whenever I have to cook with fish sauce. On one hand, I really have to hold my breath when I use fish sauce to cook, but on the other, I love the flavor it lends to the food I cook.

Today was no exception. I had to stop breathing while pouring out 60ml of fish sauce for the marinade, but I can honestly tell you that it was worth every breathless moment I had to endure.

One of the best things about this dish, apart from it being way-too-delicious, is how easy it is to cook. Simply marinate the pork chops for 20-30 minutes, then pan fry them, and you have a plate of deliciousness for dinner.

Speaking of pan-frying, I have to tell you how I am still so in love with my Corningware Retroflam cookware.

This fabulous pan from Korea, which is non-toxic and non-stick, has a aluminium cast body with specially designed radiating grooves on the base that distribute heat evenly. This means that I was able to cook the pork chops without having to shift them around while cooking. And that translates to allowing the pork chops to cook and caramelize evenly.

The Corningware Retroflam cookware is a five layer cookware, consisting of Pearl ceramic – black titanium – cast aluminium – black titanium – Pearl ceramic layers. For cooks, this simply means that not only are the pots non-toxic and non-stick, they are also very easy to clean. Unless you have been doing heavy duty cooking, all you have to do is to wipe the pans with some kitchen towels and again with a little oil and it is ready for your next use.

I think because of the evenly distributed heat, I didn’t have to cook the chops to death – in fact, all I did was to pan-fry the chops on each side for about 4 minutes and they were done! This allowed the pork chops to retain juiciness. So much so that even though the LAM had his pork chops about 6 hours after I had cooked them, they remained tender and juicy. This experience has definitely encouraged me to try cooking pork chops a lot more often!

Having said that, let me show you how to cook these yummy pork chops.

Start by making the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together the chopped shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar and black pepper.

Use a fork or a meat piercer to poke holes all over the pork chop. This allows the marinade to penetrate the meat more quickly.

Pour the marinade over the pork chops and let the chops marinade at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Turn them occasionally. You can also marinate the pork chops over-night in the fridge.

Remove the pork chops from the marinade, and scrape off any excess marinade from the meat. Reserve the marinade for the sauce.

In a little oil, pan-fry the pork chops for 4 minutes on each side.

Once cooked, allow the pork chops to rest for 10 minutes before serving so the juices in the meat can re-distribute.

In a saucepan, bring the reserved marinade to a boil. Cook this until the marinade is reduced to about ¼ of its original volume. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Totally succulent and delicious!

{A giveaway!}

The folks at World Kitchen (Asia Pacific) are giving away 2 sets of 6-piece Corelle Dinnerware (Design: Frost) to 2 lucky readers of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe! To take part, simply complete the Rafflecopter below!*

*2 winners will be picked to win one set each of a 6-piece Corelle Dinnerware (Design:Frost).An email will be sent to the winners to notify him/her of the win. Should a reply not be received within 48 hours, another winner will be selected. The winners must collect the prizes from World Kitchen (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd at 238A Thomson Road #25-09/10 Novena Square Tower A Singapore 307684. This contest is opened to only residents of Singapore.

The Corningware Retroflam cookware (in Ruby Red and Emerald Green) are available at the following stores in Singapore:

Pour the marinade over the pork chops and let the chops marinade at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Turn them occasionally. You can also marinate the pork chops over-night in the fridge.

Remove the pork chops from the marinade, and scrape off any excess marinade from the meat. Reserve the marinade for the sauce.

In a little oil, pan-fry the pork chops for 4 minutes on each side.

Once cooked, allow the pork chops to rest for 10 minutes before serving so the juices in the meat can re-distribute.

In a saucepan, bring the reserved marinade to a boil. Cook this until the marinade is reduced to about ¼ of its original volume. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice.

By Diana Gale

Adapted from Bon Appetite

Adapted from Bon Appetite

The Domestic Goddess Wannabe http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/

Disclaimer: While this post was brought to you by World Kitchen, The Domestic Goddess Wannabe and the LAM are in love with the set of Corningware Retroflam cookware that we have received and we hope that you are also inspired to cook some great dishes with this fabulous and beautiful range of cookware!

Thanks Diana for the yummy pork chop recipe. Will definitely try it. PS: Thanks for the frying pan review. I dont have much luck with frying pans. They always stick aft a couple of cookings. Will try Corningware Retroflam cookware.